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10-22-2009, 01:11 AM
By Jeff McDonald - Express-News
For the first three-plus weeks of training camp, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich tried hard not to buy into the hype.
While fans went gaga over rookie forward DeJuan Blair, Popovich chose to reserve his judgment and tamp down expectations, liberally applying the phrase “typical rookie” to most every discussion of the former Pittsburgh All-American.
Six games into his inaugural preseason, however, Blair appears to have made a believer even out of Popovich. After watching Blair take his wrecking-ball act to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, Popovich figured there was no use in denying the obvious.
“He’s going to be a good player in the NBA,” Popovich said, “and he’s going to be a good player quickly.”
Blair, the 37th pick in the June draft, has been perhaps the star of the Spurs’ preseason, averaging a team-leading 14.7 points and 8.2 rebounds in just 18 minutes a night. In a 119-102 victory over Oklahoma City, he finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, despite not entering the game until midway though the third quarter.
It was just another chapter in the growing Legend of DeJuan. Blair had 16 points and 19 rebounds in his preseason debut against Houston and a 28-point night at Miami.
“We call him ‘The Beast,’ ” said Antonio McDyess, who at age 35 is 15 years Blair’s senior. “He just goes so hard. It’s like he’s been playing this game a lot longer than he has.”
Probably a shade under his listed height of 6-foot-7, Blair came to the Spurs with questions in tow. Popovich wasn’t sure how his undersized game would play in the NBA. He wasn’t sure how Blair would find a matchup on the defensive end on a night-to-night basis.
Blair has been hearing similar questions for much of his 20 years on earth, from his days at Schenley High School in Pittsburgh to his two starring seasons at that city’s flagship university.
“I’ve been the underdog my whole life,” Blair said. “I can’t worry about that kind of stuff.”
Projected as a lottery pick, Blair fell into the second round partially because of concerns about his height and partially because of concerns about his health. An examination at the predraft combine in Chicago revealed him to be without ACLs in both knees.
By the time the Spurs were on the draft clock, Popovich said, choosing Blair was “a no-brainer.”
“If he is healthy, and he proves people wrong, we got a hell of a steal,” Popovich said. “There wasn’t anybody else we were going to pick there who was going to help us win a championship.”
Blair’s most evident strength, and most endearing quality, is that he doesn’t seem to know how to give up on a play. Built like a washing machine at 265 pounds, he masks his deficiencies with hustle. That is the beauty of “The Beast.”
Against Oklahoma City, Blair missed six shots. Five of those were blocked. Three of them he put back himself for points.
Popovich doesn’t mind Blair playing volleyball with opposing shot-blockers now and then. He has encouraged Blair to experiment.
“He’s got to test that,” Popovich said. “He’s got to realize there are different guys down there guarding him than what he’s used to. If he doesn’t go through that process, it’s not going to work for him.”
Still, there are daily reminders that Blair is the youngest player Popovich has considered for use in his regular rotation since Tony Parker was a teenager.
One such moment came in the fourth quarter against the Thunder. Blair leaped to grab a rebound off a miss by Serge Ibaka. In his haste to corral the ball, Blair pinned it against the glass.
Popovich chastised him.
“He thought I was showboating,” Blair said.
What Blair meant to do was to send a message. Earlier in the game, Ibaka had dunked a putback basket.
“The dude just got a tip dunk, and I said, ‘He ain’t going to get that no more,’?” Blair said.
Then Blair smiled his big smile.
“That’s a lesson learned, OK?” he said. “I apologized for it. You live and you learn.”
So far, that has been Blair’s life in the NBA. Living well, learning quickly and making believers.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Popovich_discovering_beauty_of_The_Beast.html
For the first three-plus weeks of training camp, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich tried hard not to buy into the hype.
While fans went gaga over rookie forward DeJuan Blair, Popovich chose to reserve his judgment and tamp down expectations, liberally applying the phrase “typical rookie” to most every discussion of the former Pittsburgh All-American.
Six games into his inaugural preseason, however, Blair appears to have made a believer even out of Popovich. After watching Blair take his wrecking-ball act to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, Popovich figured there was no use in denying the obvious.
“He’s going to be a good player in the NBA,” Popovich said, “and he’s going to be a good player quickly.”
Blair, the 37th pick in the June draft, has been perhaps the star of the Spurs’ preseason, averaging a team-leading 14.7 points and 8.2 rebounds in just 18 minutes a night. In a 119-102 victory over Oklahoma City, he finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, despite not entering the game until midway though the third quarter.
It was just another chapter in the growing Legend of DeJuan. Blair had 16 points and 19 rebounds in his preseason debut against Houston and a 28-point night at Miami.
“We call him ‘The Beast,’ ” said Antonio McDyess, who at age 35 is 15 years Blair’s senior. “He just goes so hard. It’s like he’s been playing this game a lot longer than he has.”
Probably a shade under his listed height of 6-foot-7, Blair came to the Spurs with questions in tow. Popovich wasn’t sure how his undersized game would play in the NBA. He wasn’t sure how Blair would find a matchup on the defensive end on a night-to-night basis.
Blair has been hearing similar questions for much of his 20 years on earth, from his days at Schenley High School in Pittsburgh to his two starring seasons at that city’s flagship university.
“I’ve been the underdog my whole life,” Blair said. “I can’t worry about that kind of stuff.”
Projected as a lottery pick, Blair fell into the second round partially because of concerns about his height and partially because of concerns about his health. An examination at the predraft combine in Chicago revealed him to be without ACLs in both knees.
By the time the Spurs were on the draft clock, Popovich said, choosing Blair was “a no-brainer.”
“If he is healthy, and he proves people wrong, we got a hell of a steal,” Popovich said. “There wasn’t anybody else we were going to pick there who was going to help us win a championship.”
Blair’s most evident strength, and most endearing quality, is that he doesn’t seem to know how to give up on a play. Built like a washing machine at 265 pounds, he masks his deficiencies with hustle. That is the beauty of “The Beast.”
Against Oklahoma City, Blair missed six shots. Five of those were blocked. Three of them he put back himself for points.
Popovich doesn’t mind Blair playing volleyball with opposing shot-blockers now and then. He has encouraged Blair to experiment.
“He’s got to test that,” Popovich said. “He’s got to realize there are different guys down there guarding him than what he’s used to. If he doesn’t go through that process, it’s not going to work for him.”
Still, there are daily reminders that Blair is the youngest player Popovich has considered for use in his regular rotation since Tony Parker was a teenager.
One such moment came in the fourth quarter against the Thunder. Blair leaped to grab a rebound off a miss by Serge Ibaka. In his haste to corral the ball, Blair pinned it against the glass.
Popovich chastised him.
“He thought I was showboating,” Blair said.
What Blair meant to do was to send a message. Earlier in the game, Ibaka had dunked a putback basket.
“The dude just got a tip dunk, and I said, ‘He ain’t going to get that no more,’?” Blair said.
Then Blair smiled his big smile.
“That’s a lesson learned, OK?” he said. “I apologized for it. You live and you learn.”
So far, that has been Blair’s life in the NBA. Living well, learning quickly and making believers.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Popovich_discovering_beauty_of_The_Beast.html